Flatwound Bass String Comparison - La Bella vs. Thomastik-Infeld

[@benbynum]

Hey folks, thanks for watching! Let me know if there are any other flatwounds out there that should be thrown into the ring.

[@Marshallstclair]

request for Dunlops - thanks for considering

[@bigbass421]

Ernie Ball Slinky flats. My current favorite, and I have about ten basses strung with all kinds of flats. The Slinky flats feel and sound amazing.

[@DeeshBassChannel]

Optima RB 4440 set vs TI 344

[@conterber]

Rotosound 77 vs La Bella

[@edgarojeda9288]

Fender flatwounds

[@georgeanderson9957]

Great job. Thats how to do a string demo.

[@tonyrayjames3526]

For years I would have said Labella ( and they are a fine string) at first I hated Thomastik but once I figured out you can set the string height basically on the fret and get no buzz and it made that sloppy loose tension feel go away ,now they play like butter and sound great.

[@benbynum]

Nice! I must say that the TIs are only getting better the longer I leave them on. I've got the action fairly low but I'd like to try what you're saying and go even lower as long as the fret buzz doesn't get picked up.

[@Andy-ud4ob]

@@benbynum I'm from Vienna and live near the TI Factory, still a true jewel active in the working district of the city, proud to have such a brand around making Flatwound players all over the world happy :D

[@slee6261]

I love the low tension of the TI flats, but when I hear the LB’s at full tone on this recording, I have to hand it to LBDTF’s.

[@nateparker8450]

Same here. TIs have the best feel of any bass string on the market imo, but the La Bella sound is just so perfect. TIs are great on fretless jazz basses, though.

[@alaeddinabugrara3309]

Thank you so much altho you didn't say a word this was the most helpful and clear take on the matter and really made my mind! Ps. I chose TI, I think been punchier so it age better than La Bella and having them on my contrabass I know they are easy on the hands too

[@gimmeagig]

I ordered two sets Labellas and TIs. From Amazon. They just arrived. I can send send them back. I will keep the TIs. Thank you for helping me make a decision

[@scottlovesplayingbass3495]

I’m liking the Thomastiks

[@TheHeater90]

La Bella all day!! Especially on the first two tracks here. On the last track it's more of a toss up, and the Thomastiks grew on me with that track. But that one's an odd-ball of a tune compared to the other two. For your bread and butter soul/rock and roll/blues/etc., La Bellas can't be beat.

[@allrequiredfields]

The problem is they both need months to break in. The thomatiks here sound like rounds because they're so new. They sound absolutely nothing like this when broken in.

[@TheHeater90]

@@allrequiredfields I can believe that they'd sound more like it after a good amount of break-in time, for sure

[@torkilhjelle]

Hi! Just found your channel, and I'm loving it! I'm trying to decide on which La Bella flats to get. If I'm not mistaking you used to play the blue silked La Bella 760FM or the 0760M in some of your earlier videos. I'm curious of what made you switch them out. Pros and cons? I can tell you're playing rather softly, which I really like the sound of. I play upright bass mostly myself and find it difficult to force myself to play with that soft of a touch on the electric. I have Thomastiks on my P-bass at the moment but I'm looking for some more tension and a thicker string. Considering if I should go for the Jamerson set (.110-.52) or the (probaply more versatile) black silked 760FM (.109-.49).

[@benbynum]

Thanks for watching/listening! I switched from LaBella to TI mainly in pursuit of lower tension. I've generally steered away from higher tension strings so I can't offer much feedback there, but I'd love to hear the Jamerson's against the 760FMs.

[@Whatisjazz3104]

Got fender flats on a G&L L2000E ...nice tone and tension . I'll say it again ... I like the E string length and how the silk "lands" on the post ...

[@silentyouber2816]

LaBella for me. Thanks for making this video.

[@benbynum]

I'm still on the fence! Waiting for the newer TIs to break in

[@thesanfordmethod1905]

Great playing feel timing and vibe, and incredible tone !

[@λιμινιλ]

I have La Bella’s and I prefer the TIs

[@MrSparks54]

Nice comparison. I like my LaBella 760FL and FS Deep talkin flats, I have 11 basses, several have the LaBellas. I also use GHS Perecision Flats, Ernie Ball slinky, Fender 9050 and Pyramid Gold. The Thomastiks are about twice the price of LaBella but not much difference to my ears. I would like to see LaBella low tension flats and Pyramid flats in the mix. Thanks Ben. Cheers from Utah

[@StevenDoyleLuke]

TIs all the way!

[@themightyship]

TI Flats have been my exclusive choice for flats on all my basses now for the past few years. Pricier, but well worth it in my opinion.

[@defmu3825]

Great demo, well done!

[@RootsBassCanada]

I vote for TI.

[@calebfinamore]

Awesome stuff, thanks for sharing!

[@edjefferson9175]

Wow that is a dramatic difference in tone. Any thoughts on playability? Glad I didn’t waste money on Tomastik. Will go LaBella thank you!

[@benbynum]

I'm finding the TIs maybe a bit easier to play, seems to be less tension. I even got a set for my short scale Mustang, really digging them. But still might switch back or try something else

[@michaelblaney4461]

I have used both sets , the La Bella to me have a stronger attack , less mid and a higher tension. The TI strings are much more flexible more mid focused and brighter. The La Bella low tension flats are kind of like a cross between the two sets . Myself I prefer the Ernie Ball Cobalts or D'Addario Chromes to these sets.

[@benbynum]

Nice! How do you find the Cobalts and Chromes in terms of tension? I'm always looking to go lower and so far the TIs seem to be the floor

[@Cap683]

@@benbynum Chromes have quite a bit of tension for me. I had a set and took them off. This was about 10 years.ago. They are on the bright side.

[@WTHFX]

If you are only playing Motown all day, the LaBella's are the sound. If you need clarity and punch without losing the fundamental, the TIs are the right choice. Very obvious how the TIs function vs the LaBellas on "Chicken Grease". The LaBellas have wonderful fullness in the bottom but they lack the punch and definition needed with the palm muting.

[@mccypr]

Thanks!🙂😎

[@am165504]

Trying to decide between these two sets. Which do you prefer?

[@benbynum]

It's only been two months but the longer the TIs stay on the more I prefer them. It's definitely personal, though, and depends on what sound/feel you're after. Ask me again in 6 months and I may have a different answer.

[@Komoreeebi]

It's been 6 month's!@@benbynum

[@benbynum]

@@Komoreeebi Still rocking the TIs on my pbass and mustang!

[@Komoreeebi]

@@benbynum Sick! I think i'm gonna pickup a pair of Ti's myself. I keep hearing good stuff!

[@lowtone9]

Try GHS Precision Flats sometime.

[@grzegorzkurek9604]

Hello. Im using the same Labella FX flats on few basses. How big is difference in tension of Tomastiks and Labellas? Best regards.

[@benbynum]

Hey, I think this was answered elsewhere in the comments if you dig a bit, but the TIs "feel" like slightly less tension (and in a way that I prefer) but I haven't actually measured/calculated the difference.

[@wobamusic]

Hey Ben, thanx for posting this vid....the TI seemed to have a little less output.....what do you think? In comparison both string sets sound good...well playing👌 did you check the TI JF 344? These are my favourites...maybe they are are little louder.....by the way....on what frame/device you have mounted your basses? Thanx in advance and regards...think positive and stay negative👋

[@benbynum]

Hey, thanks for the comment. So the TIs used in this vid are the JF 344s, I'll update the description with that detail. They do seem to have slightly less overall output than the LaBellas but I think that's b/c they're a bit brighter, perhaps not as tubby or muddy? I wasn't crazy about this at first but they actually seem to sit better in the mix with little to no extra work. The stand is a K&M performing stand. It's really great but on the expensive side. I'm currently working with an engineer to make something similar, more portable, and ideally at a fraction of the cost. I might feature it in upcoming videos and may also be looking for beta testers in the coming months. Cheers!

[@APMTenants]

TIs are lacking some fundamental here, but I have heard them cut better than DTBs in a mix for certain types of music.

[@yofrantovar9463]

La Bellas for fatness, Thomastiks for definition

[@yaneasalgueiro]

Finally we know the truth! Thanks to you!!!

[@DeeshBassChannel]

The sets sound the same until you open up the tone control, and it’s there the TI shines with an almost roundwound clarity.

[@calvinnapier9977]

I've had a USA Fender P bass for many years that I rarely play. The reason being from the headstock when I play past the 6th fret I have dead spots and wolf notes that I hate. Did either of the LaBella's or the Thomastik give you problems like I'm experiencing? I've been using GHS Precision flats.

[@benbynum]

No, neither set seemed to create (or resolve) any issues with dead spots. I always assumed those problems are caused by the instrument itself

[@calvinnapier9977]

@@benbynum I seen another video a guy saying he changed his strings from TI's to LaBella then he had dead spots. It got me to thinking 🤔

[@APMTenants]

@@calvinnapier9977 I think the strings can change/move dead spots because many dead spots happen when the vibration is transferred to the truss rod. One of my Ps, you can hear the truss rod vibrate at the frequency of the dead spot.

[@metalthrea5797]

great video ! How about the tension,someone told me TIS have a low tension. thank you

[@benbynum]

Thanks! I don't have anything to measure the actual tension, but the TIs do "feel" lower than the LaBellas without being too loose. I'm really liking them.

[@tonyrichengod9280]

At 0% tone, the difference was negligible to my ears. But at 100% tone, the difference in clarity was very evident: the TIs had way more definition. It’s a matter of taste, really.

[@Fili2009able]

Price vs Price ? Does the TI last longer than La Bella ? I have tried the La Bella's ( deep talking and also the Low tension flats ) and I'll love to try the Thomastik-Infeld But I think about the Price of the TI ! is it worth it to give it a try ?

[@benbynum]

No idea which hold up better over time. But the TIs are def worth a try -- string preference is so personal that it's hard to know for sure until you have them on your instrument. And with both LaBella and TI flats you could leave them on for a very long time - hopefully makes price less of a factor.

[@Karrox11]

Pino Palladino is using TI’s and said in a podcast he never changes his strings. One of his basses has the same strings since 40 years 😅

[@ludovicvanb9713]

Gorgeous tone. I prefer LaBella's, though.

[@LittleQueenie_LeighHarris]

Dude, lay back!, Relax, at least line up with the click

[@WyattLite-n-inn]

@benbynum: Don’t listen to that , you’re dead on with the click there . U have excellent time .